When we focus on a particular medicine such as azithromycin perhaps the best question we can coin is What azithromycin is used for. We may also want to ask other questions such as, Why is the medicine used instead of another one? or What are its side effects and What are the doses. True enough, these are equally important questions but to you and me, knowing what the medicine can cure is closer to our survival mechanism and is therefore the main question to ask.

Azithromycin vs. Bacteria and Diseases

Bacteria is an integral part of our living and decaying world, with some having beneficial properties, such as nitrogen fixation while others are destined to be part of the decaying environment and the cause of many plant and animal diseases.

The nemesis of bacteria is antibiotics and azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights and gets rid of bacteria. As such it is a panacea to a plethora of diseases with HIV as being only one of them as will be discussed later in this article. Despite its efficacy against bacteria however, it has its limitations.

Having jaundice or liver issues is never a good time to be taking azithromycin. It shouldn’t be taken by someone who is allergic to other drugs such as clarithromycin, erythromycin or telithromycin

Disclose Important and Pertinent Information

Taking azithromycin is a critical step that needs you to reveal important information to your doctor. In doing so, you’ll ensure you have less risk of experiencing any harmful effects from taking the medication. Tell your doctor if you’ve ever had:

• An irregular heart beat
• Low levels of potassium in your blood
• Diseased kidney
• Diseased liver
• Myasthenia gravis (weakness of some muscles)
• You or any family member have Long QT syndrome

How Should You Take Azithromycin?

What your doctor prescribes for you is most important and you should take your medicine accordingly with a ‘no more no less’ outlook over the recommended period.

Azithromycin has been proven by top experts in the medical field as one of the most successful medications for many diseases which are caused by bacteria. The following are some of the diseases against which you should take the antibiotic medication, always in line with the prescribed dosages  and recourse to your doctor for complete information on the use of this medication:

• Acute pharyngitis or tonsillitis
• Community acquired pneumonia
• Genital ulcer infection
• Urethritis infection
• Cervicitis infection
• Skin structure infections
• Acute otitis
• Sinusitis
• Bronchitis
• Mycobacterium avium

Side Effects of Azithromycin

Using azithromycin as medication for treating the above bacterial diseases has a number of side effects which you need to know about. To make it easier for you to know their potency, they are divided into common and serious side effects:

More common side effects

• Nausea
• Vomiting,
• Abdominal pain
• Headache
• Diarrhea

Normally, these conditions will gradually subside and disappear within a few days or two week if they are mild. If they are more serious, you should quickly approach your doctor or pharmacist.

Acute side effect

If the side effects are severe, it’s a signal for immediately calling your doctor or medical emergency number especially if you feel the side effect is life threatening or if you think and feel you have a medical emergency on your hands. 

Some known serious side effects may include:

• Liver complications brought on by symptoms such as:
  • Loss of energy
  • loss of appetite
  • stomach pain
  • dark urine
  • skin or eyes turning yellow
• QT prolongation that can result in irregular heart beat as shown by:
  • A fluttering feeling in the chest
  • Gasping during sleep
  • Fainting
• Allergic responses that are usually indicated by
  • Labored breathing
  • Swelling of the entire facial area including tongue or throat
  • Hives or skin rash with itching for a few days
  • Serious skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome that result in blistering skin or shedding of dead skin
• Diarrhea caused by the Clostridium difficile (C.diff) bacteria that show other symptoms such as:
  • Nausea,
  • Belly pain
  • Loss of appetite
• Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis or narrowing/blocking digestive system of newborn babies shown by symptoms such as:
  • Vomiting after a meal
  • Irritability during feeding
  • Absence of weight gain

Highly Important Precautionary Information

In order to guard against mild and acute side effects from taking azithromycin the safest strategy is to take it as directed by your doctor and to never deviate from it. Note the following carefully:

• If you discontinue your medication or don’t use it at all you may not get better, or your condition may actually worsen.
• In order for your medication to work effectively, some Azithromycin must always be present in your body. If you miss taking your doses or fail to take doses at the scheduled times, your treatment may not work well or it may cease to work altogether.
• Taking too much is very risky because it accumulates dangerous levels of azithromycin in your body and may cause damage to your liver or the interrupt the rhythm of your heart beat.
• Always keep in mind to immediately call your doctor on any emergency number available if you’ve taken an overdose.
• If for any reason you forgot to take your dose, do so the moment you remember to take it. If you are due to take your scheduled dose in one or two hours, take only one dose for the present one and not two for the last schedule you missed and the present schedule.

Using Azithromycin While Travelling

You should consider the following points which deal with how you should use your medication when you are travelling:

• Don’t leave your medication behind but always carry it with you.
• If you think X-ray machines at the airport might damage your medicine, rest assured that they won’t.
•  Airport staff may want to know the label of your medication. Ensure you always carry the original prescription label container with you.
• Never leave your medication in the car’s glove space or just leave it in the car especially during very cold or very hot weather.

Conclusion
It’s never simple when you are taking a drug medications such as azithromycin because there are so many ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ involved in connection with, what azithromycin used for. You shouldn’t be annoyed or confused because all the precautions are meant for you own health, wellbeing and your very life as well. Remember that your doctor is always acting in your best interest and protection.